Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Be Vocal in Times of Beauty

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? — Mary Oliver

~~~~ Inspiration of the Day: “To stand up and speak out against cold injustice, against the blind wrong-doing that we see in the world — that is one kind of activism. But there is another kind. A rarer form of fire-in-the-belly commitment to a much less talked about cause. Tell me, do you stand up and speak out when you encounter a moment of unexpected joy, warmth, beauty or compassion in your life? Do you stop to say so when you stumble across something that makes you smile- or are you in the dull habit of registering the remarkable without remark? Are you a bystander of beauty, a mute spectator of special-ness? Do you let the silver-lining moments of the day slide into an insignificant silence — or do you seize them as the chance to make something bloom?” A stirring call to be vocal in times of beauty. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16998AD:C3009629A010612C6BDC4CA2DC9FCD13B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: Stand up and speak out when you encounter a moment of unexpected joy, warmth, beauty or compassion in your life.

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Kindness Daily: Incense and Generosity Bridge Faith Divide

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Incense and Generosity Bridge Faith Divide October 15, 2011 – Posted by hpotter In India, it is very common to see children and adults begging. Standing at high density intersections, they can collect a good amount of money each day, while also enduring verbal and at times physical abuse. It would be easy to say that they should be given work, but often they can earn more through begging than working. Without a doubt, there are those in genuine need who are begging, but there are many more who beg for a living. As I made my way towards the rickshaw I had spotted, I slowed my pace as there was a man near the driver. Moving closer, I saw that he wasn’t a passenger disembarking, but someone selling incense. Perhaps seeing me approaching, the driver put away his newly purchased incense and sent the man on his way. While the scene on the surface was nothing extraordinary, there was something out of place, the Muslim prayer cap on the driver’s head. As I stepped into the rickshaw, my eyes followed the man and I could discern that he also had a mental handicap. I too felt that I should buy some incense, but by then the man was too far away. "I never use incense," the driver said, interrupting my thoughts. "We never buy incense in my house." He had sensed my confusion and reiterated something I knew, that unlike Hindus’ prominent use of incense in rituals and prayer, Muslims did not have much use of incense. "He could have been begging, but instead he was working with honesty to earn his money, so I wanted to show my support," the rickshaw driver explained. I was taken back by the man’s sentiments. Just moments ago, I wanted to buy incense for the same reasons. He shared more on the ways to address the occupation of begging and I could not have agreed with him more. When we arrived at my destination, I gave him a 100 rupee note instead of 10. I wanted him to use the money for acts like the one he did that day. He refused to take the money. I then explained to him that this was not a "reward" or anything else to diminish the simplicity and authenticity of his act, but rather a request on my behalf to utilize the money for good. He was someone who spent his days on the road and he had eyes to see those who could use some support. He finally accepted and as I walked away, I could not help but smile. So often, there are stories of Hindus vs Muslims in India, but here was one of humanity. Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories No similar stories found. Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

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Technology is Not the Answer

In our sheer preoccupation with technology, we do not realize the inherent artistic choices when creating technology … and the questioning and reflection that the process of creating art implies. — Tapan Parikh

~~~~ Good News of the Day: “Technology is not the answer. That’s the conclusion I came to after five years in India trying to find ways to apply electronic technologies to international development. I was the co-founder and assistant director of Microsoft Research India, a Bangalore computer-science lab, where one of our objectives was to research ways in which information and communication technologies could support the socio-economic development of poor communities, both rural and urban. […] In several projects to design educational technology for schools, we found that teacher and administrator attitudes were the real keys to success. Then, when we connected low-income slum residents with potential employers, limited education and training posed critical barriers. And again, when we used gadgets for microfinance operations, a capable institutional ally was indispensable. Our successes were due more to effective partners, and less to our technology.” Kentaro Toyama shares
further. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16997E8:C3009629A010612CF8A7056D78E9228FB4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: We’re constantly creating, with objects, words, and actions. Today, question and reflect during the creation process.

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Dalai Lama Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Kindness Daily: Angels Of The Rest Area

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Angels Of The Rest Area October 14, 2011 – Posted by moral12 Years ago, when my daughter was an infant, I was traveling alone cross-country to join my husband. I had a small sports car crammed full of household items, clothing, and one baby car-seat. After driving for many miles, in an attempt to drive straight through, I was tired and needed to stop for a bathroom break. The rest area was mostly deserted, on an isolated stretch of Interstate highway. I parked the car and carried my infant daughter, in her car-seat, into the restroom. Coming out again I saw a middle-aged couple hanging around. It turned out they were waiting for us! The lady said, "We wanted to wait for you to come out and see you safely back into your car. Sometimes rest areas can be an unsafe place for a young lady. We have a daughter almost your age and we wanted to make sure you got safely back on your way". I was very touched by their consideration. Being young, and probably naive to the potential dangers of rest areas, it had never occurred to me that there was any possibility of something going wrong. I thanked them for their kindness. My daughter and I continued our journey and reached our destination (and my husband) safely. I never got their names but thirty years later their kindness is not forgotten. Sometimes angels come in disguise and just because you can’t see their wings it doesn’t mean they aren’t angels! Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories No similar stories found. Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

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Video of the Week: The Calm Within

You’re receiving this newsletter because you are a KarmaTube subscriber. Having trouble reading this mail? View it in your browser. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe Video of the Week Oct 14, 2011 The Calm Within Dewey Bozella was locked up for 26 years – a lifetime – for a crime he did not commit. This story is about the triumph of human spirit and living proof of the maxim: “never give up”. One man’s journey to reclaim his life, against all odds; a man fighting his biggest fight outside the boxing ring without any hatred or bitterness towards the system. Dewey Bozella – courageous, persistent, human and finally…free. Share: Related KarmaTube Videos The Girl Who Silenced the World at the UN Christian the Lion Shift Happens Lusaka Sunrise About KarmaTube: KarmaTube is a collection of inspiring videos accompanied by simple actions every viewer can take. We invite you to get involved. Other CharityFocus Projects: DailyGood // Conversations // iJourney // HelpOthers MovedByLove // CF Sites // Karma Kitchen // More Thank you for helping us spread the good. This newsletter now reaches 37,668 subscribers.

Barry Lopez: A Sense of Reverence for Life

There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light. — Barry Lopez

~~~~ Good News of the Day: His travels have taken him to some of the most inhospitable places on the earth, outside the furthest reaches of human civilization. But Barry Lopez always returns to his home in Oregon to write about what he has seen. And though nature is often his inspiration, it is not his subject, Lopez tells Bill Moyers, “I’m not writing about nature. I’m writing about humanity. And if I have a subject, it is justice. And the rediscovery of the manifold way in which our lives can be shaped by the recovery of a sense of reverence for life.” Lopez defines reverence as understanding “that the world will always be there, no matter how sophisticated our technologies of probing reality become. The great mystery will be there forever. Lopez was Bill Moyers’ last guest on his show, the Journal. The transcript of that program follows. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169957D:C3009629A010612CB981A0777FABFC86B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: Move through the day today with a sense of reverence, whatever that means to you.

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Dharma Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Dharma Quote of the Week

Blame everything on one thing. It simplifies life incredibly, and yet it truly is not simplistic. If we believe from our hearts that all of our misfortunes can be attributed to self-centeredness, this must radically transform our lives.

Do we have reservations? Isn’t there some part of the mind that says, “Self-centeredness is not such a bad idea. It got me my job, a good salary, my house and car. How can this be my enemy?” On the surface self-centeredness may seem like an aide who looks after our interests. There is one powerful answer to this: insofar as self-centeredness dominates our lives, it brings us into conflict with virtually everyone else. Because most people are dominated by self-centeredness, their interests are at odds with our own. There is bound to be conflict, and conflict gives rise to suffering.

Imagine what life would be like without self-centeredness. Would we give away all our possessions, waste away from malnutrition, and die prematurely of disease? No. This would be a partial lack of self-centeredness combined with a large part of stupidity. If we are to serve others effectively, we must take care of ourselves. A bodhisattva has no self-centeredness, but there have been people in all stations of life, including kings, who are bodhisattvas. If we free ourselves of self-centeredness and really concern ourselves with the cherishing of others, then our own welfare comes as a kind of echo.(p.67)

–from The Seven-Point Mind Training by B. Alan Wallace, edited by Zara Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications

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(Good until October 21st).

25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer

Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish. — John Jakes

~~~~ Inspiration of the Day: Today, writing well is more important than ever. Far from being the province of a select few as it was in Hemingway’s day, writing is a daily occupation for all of us — in email, on blogs, and through social media. It is also a primary means for documenting, communicating, and refining our ideas. As essayist, programmer, and investor Paul Graham has written, “Writing doesn’t just communicate ideas; it generates them. If you’re bad at writing and don’t like to do it, you’ll miss out on most of the ideas writing would have generated.” So what can we do to improve our writing? Here are 25 snippets of insight from some exceptional authors. While they are all focused on the craft of writing, most of these tips pertain to pushing forward creative projects of any kind. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16994BA:C3009629A010612C76E74F6C8F53D6B3B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: Align your head, heart and hands when you write today.

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Live Webcasts: Mind and Life XXIII – Ecology, Ethics and Interdependence

Live Webcasts: Mind and Life XXIII – Ecology, Ethics and Interdependence

This meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be a dialogue between contemplative scholars, activists and ecological scientists that will discuses the interconnection between individual choices and environmental consequences. There will live broadcasts of the dialogue from His Holiness’s office in Dharamsala, India, on October 17-21, 2011. Live webcast can be viewed here.

Schedule – All times Indian Standard Time (GMT+5.30)

The sessions will be available for streaming and download after the event at http://dalailama.com/webcasts.
TOPIC ONE – THE SCIENCE
Moderator: Daniel Goleman

Session 1, October 17th Morning: Human Impact on Global Systems for Sustaining Life
Presenter: Diana Liverman
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
Session 2, October 17th Afternoon: Interdependence Between the Environment and Our Health: Risk and Opportunities
Presenter: Jonathan Patz
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Session 3, October 18th Morning: Industrial Ecology – Connecting Everyday Activity to Planetary Crisis
Presenters: Gregory Norris, Matthieu Ricard
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am

TOPIC TWO – ETHICS, PHILOSOPHY, THEOLOGY
Moderator: John Dunne

Session 4, October 18th Afternoon: Environmental Ethics – What is at Stake?
Presenter: Clare Palmer
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Session 5, October 19th Morning: A Role for Theology – Models of God, the World, and the Self
Presenter: Sallie McFague
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am

Session 6, October 19th Afternoon: A Buddhist Perspective and Open Discussion
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm

TOPIC THREE – ETHICS AND ACTION
Moderator: Roshi Joan Halifax

Session 7, October 20th Morning: The Psychology of Action and Behavior Change
Presenter: Elke Weber
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am

Session 8, October 20th Afternoon: A Buddhist Perspective on the Psychology of Action and Behavior Change
Presenter: Thupten Jinpa
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm

TOPIC FOUR: CONCLUSION

Session 9, October 21st Morning: The Skillful Means of Activism
Presenter: Dekila Chungyalpa
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am

Session 10, October 21st: To Be Determined
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm

For times in your area, 9:00am October 17th in Dharamsala, India, is the same as 8:30pm in October 16th in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Participants

1.Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

2. Dekila Chungyalpa, M.A., is the World Wildlife Fund US Director for the newly launched Sacred Earth Program.

3. John Dunne, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Religion at Emory University

4. Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., is a co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning at the University of Illinois, and co-director of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations at Rutgers University.

5. Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D., is founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

6. Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D, Principal translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, president and the editor-in-chief of the Institute of Tibetan Classics.

7. Diana Liverman, Ph.D., is the co-director of the Institute of the Environment at The University of Arizona and a professor in the School of Geography and Development.

8. Sallie McFague, Ph.D., is Distinguished Theologian in Residence at the Vancouver School of Theology in British Columbia, Canada.

9. Greg Norris, Ph.D., founded and is executive director of New Earth and Visiting Professor with the Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas.

10. Clare Palmer, D.Phil., is a Professor of Philosophy at Texas A&M University.

11. Jonathan Patz, M.D., M.P.H., is a Professor & Director of Global Environmental Health at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

12. Matthieu Ricard: Ph.D., is an author and Buddhist monk at Shechen Monastery in Kathmandu and French interpreter since 1989 for His Holiness the Dalai Lama

13. Elke Weber, Ph.D., is the Jerome A. Chazen Professor of International Business and Professor of Psychology at Columbia Universit